Grandies Autumn Outdoor Holiday Activities

Autumn is an exciting season to be outdoors – especially for children. The world is changing as nature prepares for cool-season hibernation, yet there’s still loads of gardening activities for little hands to enjoy. These holidays, check out our ideas for back-to-nature activities both you and the children will enjoy.

In the garden

Autumn is the season of bulb planting so kit out the grandies with gardening gloves (and a mask if handling compost). The most satisfying and easy to grow bulbs for children are daffodils (for those living in cooler parts of the country), and freesias (if you live in warmer regions). Provide waterproof felt tip pens and popsicle sticks and let the children decorate individualised plant tags to identify their bulbs.

Any container (including large yoghurt pottles) with a minimum depth of 15-20cm (and with a drainage hole in the base) will accommodate a bulb or two. Working outside, don gloves and masks, and water the bulb mix well before using it to fill the container (no need for stones in the base). Plant the bulbs into the mix at least twice their depth. Leave the container in a dark place until the green tip of the growth appears (this stops the bulb growing leggy foliage at the expense of the flower). Once the green tip appears, children can place their bulb in a warm, sheltered, outdoor spot while they wait for it to bloom.

At the park

Autumn wreath

Autumn nature is all about changing colour, and we see it most in deciduous leaves. Grab a basket, and head to your local tree-filled park to gather as many colourful and differently shaped leaves as can be found. Use the leaves to create an autumn-wreath the children can gift to mum or dad. To do this, take a piece of card the size of a large dinner plate (card from a carton will work – but you may need to tape it together). Use two plates (one large and one small) as outlines to draw around (the larger plate creates the outer shape of the wreath while the smaller plate creates the inner circle which you cut away). Attach a string hanger to the back of the wreath shape. Help the children glue-stick their leaves onto the wreath, overlapping them as they go. Such a gorgeous gift!

Photo fun

Children love a scavenger hunt – and autumn is the time to organise one with a difference, because this hunt (which can take place in your backyard or at a park) will be all about taking photos. Before you start, emphasise there will be no touching of fungi (which can be dangerous) or insects (which need to be left to get on with their own lives in safety). To prepare for the hunt, make a list of 10 autumn objects to look for: a red leaf, a yellow leaf, a brown leaf, a dried seed head, an acorn or other nut, a bunch of berries, a ground foraging bird, a spider web, a fungi, and an insect. When you reach the park, work together so you know where everyone is, and no one gets lost! As you find an object, ask each child to take a photo of it from a different angle. When you get back home, vote on the best photo of each find. If you have a printer, print out the best photos (alternatively, take them to a budget printer such as Warehouse Stationery).  Use the prints to make cards.

Autumn is a world waiting to be discovered, and it’s even more fun when you do it with children!